Safety-lever attachment for power-presses.



O. M. GARDINER.

SAFETY LEVER ATTACHMENT FOR POWER PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED 'AUG. 3, 1909.

Patented July 16, 1912.

INVENTEJR CHARLES M.EI.APLD INEH V V ITNE 5 SE S CHARLES M. GAEDINER, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

SAFETY-LEVER ATTACHMENT FOR POWER-LPRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed August 3, 1909. Serial No. 511,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. GARDI- NER, of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Safety -Lever Attachments for Power-Presses, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to safety lever attachments for power presses and the like, and the main object of the invention is to provide a very simple, inexpensive and efficient controlling apparatus adapted to prevent the operator of a power press or any similar machine from accidentally throwing the press into operation before the operator is ready.

My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention and in which- Figure 1 shows aside elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the pedal removed. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the latch member in invertedposition. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the slotted quadrant. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View on the line 67 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the parts, 8 designates a quadrant provided with a suitable base 9 which is bolted or otherwise secured to the floor adjacent the press or other power machines, or to the machine itself. The quadrant is provided with a vertical slot 10 having on one or both sides thereof toward the top, notches 11. The lower portion of one side of the slot is cut away at the bottom to form a notch 12.

The lever 13 for operating the press is pivoted at 14: and is attached to the machine by any suitable link 15. A latch member 16 is slidably attached to the free end of the lever 13, said latch member being provided at both ends with lugs 17 embracing the lever, and at the outer end with looking lugs 18 which are adapted to normally occupy the notches llof the slot 10. It will be seen that the lever 13 with the latch 16 slide vertically within the slot 10 but that longitudinal movement of the latch 16 within the slot is limited to the point at which the locking lugs 18 pass through the notches 11. A spring 19 is mounted on a rod or post 20 fixed to the latch member at one end, and at the other end sliding through a block 21 fixed to the lever. The latch member is slidably secured to the lever by means of a bolt 22 passing within a sleeve 23 which slides in a slot 2-1- in the lever, the movement of the latch on the lever being limited by the length of the slot 2 1-. A washer 25 is placed between the head of the bolt 22 and the sleeve 23 to prevent the bolt slipping out of the slot, the sleeve 23 being of such a length that the washer will not be pressed against the lever and interfere with the easy movement of the latch. The spring holds the latch normally at the outer end of the slot 24 but the latch may be pushed forward against the spring to the front end of the slot, the rod 20 sliding in the block 21.

A pedal 26 pivoted at 27 to a post 28 is see cured to the latch member, the post 28 passing through one of the apertured lugs 29 and being held in place by means of the set screws 30. It will be noted that two lugs are provided in order that the pedal may be adjusted to one or the other, as is found most convenient. A small rectangular stop 31 is attached to the quadrant by means of a screw 32 and is adapted, in its horizontal position, to cover the top of the notch 12, and in its vertical position to uncover the same. The notch 12 is of such height that the latch member will engage therein when the top of the notch is uncovered.

In operation, the lever is normally locked by means of the lugs 18 remaining in the notches 11 and preventing downward movement of said lever. By pressing on the pedal 26 downwardly, the machine cannot be thrown into operation, it being necessary to first give the pedal a forward movement which carries the latch member against the compression of the spring 19 and allows the lugs 18 to drop out of the notches and forwardly of the quadrant 8, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this position the press may be operated. As soon as the foot is taken off the pedal, however, the lever rises, and as soon as the lugs 18 come opposite the notches 11, the spring 19 forces the latch into locked position.

, tion it prevents the lever or latch member from entering the notch 12 so that the lever will always ris'e when released.

The advantages of this device-will be obvious and a great many accidents, caused from inadvertentpressure on the, foot levers of power presses, will be averted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the character'described, the combination with a pivoted lever, of a quadrant therefor, having a longitudinal 7 slot provided at one end with a pair of opposed notches and at the opposite end with a single notch, means slidably mounted on the lever for engaging the opposed notches to releasably lock the'lever at one end of c g the quadrant slot, and means mounted on the quadrant adapted-to prevent the lever from engaging in the single notch.

2. In a safety lever attachment for power presses, the combination with a pivoted le- 1 ver of a quadrant having a longitudinal slot Copies of this patent may be obtained for presided adjacent one end with a pair of 0pposed notches and at the opposite end with a single notch, a latch member slidably mounted on said lever, a pair of lugs integral with said latch member and adapted to cooperate with the opposed notches to re leasably lock the lever at one'end of the quadrant slot, a spring normally maintaining said lugs in cooperation withthe opposed notches, a stop pivoted to the quadrant adapted in one position to prevent the lever engaging in the single slot, and in a. second position to allow the lever to engage in said notch whereby the same will'be held at the opposite end of the quadrant-slot from the opposed notches, and an adjustable member for operatingsaid latch member. 7 In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. GARDINER.

Witnesses:

STUART R. W. ALLEN, E. R. MCKENZIE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iiatents, Washington, D. O. 

